


tea for newt

by huhidontknow



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Mother-Son Relationship, Tea, tea is the best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-16 08:44:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16950747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huhidontknow/pseuds/huhidontknow
Summary: Even though Mrs. Florence Scamander was in no way impressed with her younger son's choice of job, she knew he liked a nice, hot cup of tea. And of course, Newton Artemis Fido Scamander was a mama's boy.And yes, according to Mother Scamander, tea was a drink for all occasions.(based on a small part of a fic I read, but I can't remember the title)





	tea for newt

The first time Newt really remembered his mother serving him tea to fix his problems was when he was a small boy of four.

All he remembered was scraping his knee, walking into the house, and getting a cup of tea.

When Newt had said this, Mrs. Florence Scamander saw that Tina girl's amused face and laughed. She sat down on the couch across from them and said, "Oh no, it was definitely much longer than that."

Newton Artemis Fido Scamander was four years old when he first fell out of a tree. Newt and Theseus had _begged_ to play hide-and-seek in the garden one scorching summer. After reluctantly allowing them to go, ("Now boys, don't go telling your father I let you out. You both and I will never hear the end of this."), Florence had watched from the window tentatively as she saw Newt staring up at the tree in the garden. "What in the name of Merlin is he staring at," Florence muttered, opening the window to get a better look.

And to her horror, he began to _climb_ the tree.

At that moment, she shouted, "Newton, get down from that tree!" but she doubted he ever heard her. ("And anyway, it doesn't matter whether he heard me or not," Mrs. Scamander said to Tina. "You and I both know he wouldn't have listened." Mrs. Scamander smiled when Tina laughed and agreed. She was liking the Tina girl more and more each minute.)

Soon enough, Newt was on the ground and sobbing. Theseus, who had obviously heard the branch of the tree snap, had run over to Newt. Florence Scamander had dashed out in an instant with her wand and a few ointments. "Bloody hell," she muttered to herself. "How do children these days play in this heat." She walked over to the tree and crouched down next to Newt, who had a rather nasty cut on his knee. The little boy's eyes were overflowing with tears.

"Newton Scamander," she said, and she would admit, she was a little bit harsh. "How on earth did you think it was a good idea to climb that tree?" She looked around Newt, not seeing Theseus who had been next to him a few seconds ago. "And where is Theseus?"

At that moment, Theseus dropped down from the tree, holding a fluffy ginger kneazle in his arms. "Right here mum."

Florence threw her older son a sharp look. "Why were you climbing that tree?"

"I asked him to," Newt said softly. "I wanted to save the kneazle from the tree," Newt explained sheepishly, sniffing. He wiped his eyes and looked down at the grass. "I didn't mean to, mum," he said softly. He glanced up at his Florence's disapproving gaze for a second, before breaking eye contact. He brushed the grass with his fingers tentatively. "I only wanted to hide behind the tree, but then I saw the kneazle and I climbed up." His shoulders drooped a bit. "The branch snapped."

Florence almost rolled her eyes. Of course he would want to save the kneazle. "Alright, but leave the kneazle out here."

"We can't just leave it here!" Newt exclaimed, absolutely horrified. "He's thin, which means no one takes care of him right. Mum, don't you see? He needs us."

Florence sighed as she almost burst out laughing. "Keep him in the attic, and not a word to your father, the both of you." She walked in between her sons, her arms around them. "And you're getting a cup of tea, Newton."

After Newt was absolutely certain that Gingersnap ("You named your kneazle Gingersnap?" Tina asked in an incredulous tone. "That's real far from Dougal.") had a nice home in the attic, Florence fixed him a cup of warm chamomile tea, which Newt thoroughly enjoyed while she dabbed on some ointments.

After telling this story, Tina had asked Newt, "Did your father ever find Gingersnap?"

Newt shook his head. "Theseus and I hid him quite well. Ginger ended up living in mum's hippogriff stables."

As Newt and Tina left, Florence remembered a time she hoped Newt had forgotten.

Gingersnap only ended up in the stables because Theseus had begged his father to let him stay. And because Theseus was Mr. Scamander's favourite, he had relented. But before that, Newt had been yelled at for almost an entire hour about 'Keeping pests in the house and all this whatnot,' and other things that weren't entirely his fault.

Florence noticed, ever since that day, Newt rarely ever made eye contact with anyone.

\-----------------------

On the night of the 31st of August, 1908, Florence Scamander heard quiet sniffles coming from Newt's bedroom. She carefully left the bed and she walked down the hallways towards Newt's room. She knocked on the door that was slightly ajar before pushing it open.

Everyone knew if Newt could do anything in the world, he would keep all of the injured animals he found in his room, but because of another severe yelling from Phillip Scamander, he kept those said creatures with the hippogriffs.

She found her son with his face buried into his knees, sniffling quietly. He didn't even look up when she sat down next to him. "Newt?" Florence whispered. "Newton?"

Newt lifted his head, although he didn't meet her eyes. "Hi mum."

Florence gave him a soft smile has she rubbed his back softly. "Now Newt," the mother said, "what's going through that head of yours?" When Newt only started to rub his sheets, she nudged him gently. "Huh?" She sighed and rubbed his red hair. She cradled his head and pulled him closer. "Newt, tell me? Come on," she encouraged, but Newt only continued to sniffle. She threw her legs up onto the bed and glanced at him. "Newt? Do you want a cup of tea?"

Soon enough, both of them were downstairs. They were sitting on opposite ends of the couch. The little redhead was holding his cup with care has blankets swirled around his shoulders. He took a tentative sip. The cup was already half-finished and he had not spoken once, although his sniffling had subsided. Florence, now growing really worried, asked, "Newt? Talk to me." She shifted closer towards him and placed a hand on his back. "Newt," she whispered. "Please."

Newt looked up, making eye contact for a second before looking away. "I'm scared I won't fit in."

If Florence was being honest, she had the same fears. No one had as much interest in magical beasts as her son did. He also just never seemed to make any friends. And the eye-contact was becoming a problem. Regardless, she just smiled. "You'll make your own friends, don't worry," she said, putting her hand over his.

Three years later, Florence almost jumped for joy when Newt finally made a friend, and she didn't mind that it was Leta Lestrange at all.

But Philip wasn't exactly ecstatic.

She served another cup of tea after Newt was yelled at for making 'Funny friends.'

\------------------------------------

The day before his trial, sixteen-year-old Newt was sitting on his bed, huddled up underneath his blankets when Florence entered the room with a pot of tea. The poor boy had been yelled at about five times in the last week because of the jarvey incident at school. Philip was probably off fuming at a friends house while drinking and smoking too much for a normal person.

"Here's a pot of ginger-lemon tea," Florence said, setting the pot on Newt's bedside table. Newt looked down at his sheets as Florence kissed his messy red hair. "Let your father calm down Newton, he's very stressed."

"So am I," Newt replied honestly without any menace in his voice. Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes. "I didn't do it mum, I told you."

"And I believe you," she reassured him. But neither Philip nor Theseus believed Newt was telling the truth.

Newt had said it over and over again since his expulsion. He took the blame for Leta Lestrange because her family would have been much harsher than his own if she was expelled. Leta was the one who 'accidentally' made her experiment go wrong just so Ellen and Macy would get hurt. The jarvey didn't even belong to either of them; Leta had picked up the creature from the Forbidden Forest the night before. Philip had roared with laughter when he heard this. "Leta?" he yelled. "I don't think she's a nice girl but she is respectable enough to stay in bed at night."

After this commotion, Newt had seemed especially hurt when his father said, "You are disappointing Newton. Why can't you be more like your brother?"

Florence sighed as she thought of all the times her husband had yelled at Newt. She pat his hand. "I believe you Newt," she said, smiling at him. Newt looked up at his mother, holding her gaze for the first time in years. Florence's smile widened slightly. "Dumbledore's defending you," she said, patting his hand. "You'll be fine."

And she was right.

Dumbledore convinced the Minister to not expel Newt and he was free of all charges.

Florence served Newt a celebratory cup of tea that evening.

\------------------------------------

The moment Britain had joined the Great War, she had brewed two entire pots of tea for the family. Theseus was going to be shipped towards the Western Front to combat dark wizards taking the opportunity to cause chaos without being noticed by muggles. The older Scamander brother was already the pride of the family. At age twenty-six, he was already rising through the auror ranks at the ministry and was already working on huge task forces. Seventeen-year-old Newt had already secured a position on the Eastern Front to work with Ukrainian Ironbellies, but he wasn't leaving until next year. ("Newton, Dumbledore fought hard for you to stay in Hogwarts last year so you will complete your education before running off to war, and no I will not even let you join as a regular, muggle soldier; you aren't nineteen.")

That day, the fear of losing Theseus in war was high. "I'm going to be fine," Theseus sighed as he sipped his cup of tea. "I'm trained, mum."

"You could get killed," Florence protested.

"If he dies," Philip said, flicking his newspaper,"at least he will die a hero."

"That's messed up," Newt said, speaking his mind as usual.

Philip looked up from the paper and glared at Newt. "At least he will fight, Newton."

Newt didn't say anything, but he just sipped the honey tea in his hands. Florence glanced over at Newt worriedly. 

"And besides," Theseus said. "The war will be over by Christmas."

And as everyone knew, it wasn't.

That's why they celebrated with tea when Theseus came back alive and a hero.

(Yes, yes. Tea is not only for times of peril, it is also for celebration.)

\-----------------------------------

About a week after the entire Scamander family heard about the New York incident, Newt had visited Florence in the Hippogriff stables.

Upon seeing Newt without any physical pain or new scars made the aging woman rush over to her son. She threw her arms around Newt and nearly sobbed. "I heard about New York," she said, pulling away when Newt awkwardly didn't reciprocate the hug. She put her hands on Newt's freckled cheeks. She glanced at him with worry. "Are you alright?" she asked, and Newt only gave her a brief smile. This warmed her heart, because he almost never seemed to give a genuine smile. "You're alright."

Newt let out a small chuckle. "Thes was there to greet me in Liverpool," he said, almost joking. "He was there with a group of aurors. And Leta was with them."

Florence suddenly looked worried again. "Did they do anything?"

The redhead shook his head. "No, just banned me from travelling internationally," he said with a sigh.

As a mother, she could detect that he was upset, but there was a deeper meaning to his sadness. It wasn't about travelling with his case of creatures, because Newt had said this was the last stop he had to make, which meant there were no other creatures he had to release or rescue. Was this about a _person?_

"Did you meet anyone in New York?" Florence asked, already pulling out the teabags and the kettle.

"New York's a big city," Newt said a little absentmindedly, sitting on a stool. "I've met loads of people."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she flicked her wand to get the tea done. She poured a cup of peppermint tea and handed it to Newt as she sat on a stool opposite him. Looking right at him, she said, "Newt, you I know what I mean."

Newt's eyes flickered up at her before he took a sip of his tea. "N-no one mum. Just ran into trouble."

Flicking her wand, Florence levitated herself and her stool to settle down next to Newt. Her hand covered his just like many times before. "Newton, I know you ran into trouble, you always do," she grinned jokingly. "But I know when you're lying. I'm your mother." When Newt didn't say anything, she let out a breath. "Come on Newt," she coaxed. "Tell me."

"I met a girl-"

"Oh thank Merlin," Florence said under her breath.

Newt gave a strange, little lopsided smile. "Her name is Tina Goldstein, she's an auror," Newt began, staring at the hay strewn across the ground. "She's tall and rather good looking," he said. "She's ambitious and..." he trailed off a little. "I don't think I've met anyone like her," he said. "And her eyes, they're just..." he gave her a moment of eye-contact, but didn't finish his sentence. "And I promised that I'd give her my book in person but I need to be able to travel internationally for that."

The older woman gave him a reassuring smile. "She sounds lovely."

"She arrested me at first," Newt said.

_'Oh bollocks.'_

"And then we realized my case got switched out with a muggle's, Jacob Kowalski," Newt continued. "Jacob is a very nice man. You see, he wants to be a baker because he believes fresh-baked goods will make people happy."

Florence smiled, agreeing with this Jacob. "I do agree with him. I think I'd like him."

Newt nodded. "Everyone likes him. He's been obliviated though, you know MACUSA," he said quickly. "I met Tina's sister too. Queenie, she's a Legilimens and an excellent cook."

"Not better than me?"

The man almost laughed. "Not better than you mum." Out of nervousness, his hand reached towards his breast pocket where Florence noticed a bowtruckle peaking out of it. "Jacob and I found the erumpet in Central Park, but Tina got us arrested again. She almost died, but Pickett saved us." At this, Florence's eyebrows almost flew off her head, but Newt took no notice. "And then Grindelwald destroyed almost half of New York and MACUSA killed a boy named Credence because he was an Obscurial."

_'Only Newt would fall for a woman who arrested him twice,'_ Florence thought, almost shaking her head.

"Well," Florence said, "finish your cup of tea and we'll work on getting your travel ban lifted for this Tina girl."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I thought I'd try this. I might add a new chapter later on!


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